West Ham 3-1 Leeds (Rice 32′, Bowen 73′, Lanzini 90+4′ | Rodrigo 17′)
LONDON STADIUM — For the second season running Leeds approach the final day of the season requiring a win of their own and another team to do them a favour to stay up. Few will expect them to repeat the escape act based on their dismal performance at West Ham.
Big Sam has made medium-sized tweaks rather than big changes to the Leeds team he inherited from Javi Gracia.
Illan Meslier has been taken out of the firing line with Joel Robles becoming the No 1; Rasmus Kristensen and Max Wober, both signed from Red Bull Salzburg as full-backs have been shifted into the middle; and Weston McKennie’s “Hail Mary” throws have become one of the main sources of chances created.
But shoring up a defence that has as many holes in it as a block of Emmental in such a short period was always likely to prove a challenge. Leeds had conceded 150 Premier League goals in 76 games since the start of last season before kick-off – make that 153 from 77 now.
There will be three things in particular that will frustrate Allardyce. Firstly, that Leeds were unable to take advantage of a West Ham side that expended plenty of emotional energy in Alkmaar on Thursday night. The Hammers are now more preoccupied with next month’s Conference League final in Prague than domestic matters having secured Premier League survival.
David Moyes made six changes to the team from midweek and Declan Rice, awarded the club’s Player of the Year award before kick-off, even admitted that the meeting with Fiorentina in 17 days time is their main focus in his programme notes.
Secondly, how little his side offered while either in front or level. Leeds had two big chances to score through Rodrigo and Jack Harrison before the former converted the third and missed another pair of opportunities just before half-time. From the 46th minute until the 73rd, when Jarrod Bowen scored to put the hosts 2-1 ahead, Leeds had only one effort on goal to West Ham’s seven.
And thirdly, the manner in which his side conceded the third goal, meaningless in the context of the game, but meaningful in showing why Leeds are where they are. Lucas Paqueta ambled past two hopeless challenges before teeing up an unmarked Manuel Lanzini to side-foot into an open goal from inside the six-yard box. It was playground football.
Paqueta should have made it four after sprinting into a completely unguarded Leeds half, but tried to tee up Rice for a tap-in and got his pass all wrong.
Survival is no longer in Leeds’ hands. They need to beat Tottenham at Elland Road – an entirely plausible outcome based on Spurs’ issues – next Sunday while hoping that Bournemouth can beat Everton at Goodison Park. There is a two-point gap between Everton in 17th and Leeds in 18th, but the Toffees also have an additional three-goal cushion.
Leeds fans feel like the game is up. Many left their seats after the third goal in injury time. Those who remained behind vented their fury at a squad that has routinely let them down.
Luke Ayling, the captain and a club legend for his efforts in the much-loved and much missed Marcelo Bielsa era, was the first to break ranks to hand over a shirt to a travelling supporter. Wober, Meslier, Kristensen and Robles followed suit. The rest looked on grimly before trudging towards the dressing room.
Unsurprisingly for a club that has lurched from Bielsa-ball to Big Sam in 14 months, Leeds look completely devoid of identity and doomed to their fate.
The Big Sam gamble hasn’t paid off and now the Championship beckons.
As for West Ham, it was a result that added further to the feel-good factor that has seeped in at just the right time. There have been occasions this season when unity and harmony have been entirely absent from the London Stadium. Not so anymore.
There was an unconventional minute’s applause for “Knollsy” too, the West Ham fan who almost single-handedly kept AZ Alkmaar’s ultras at bay after the final whistle on Thursday night.
“We love you Knollsy, we do,” chanted the West Ham fans as he made his way to his seat at the start of the game, sporting an impressive shiner.
Home fans stayed behind to give their players a roaring send-off before Prague and possibly bid farewell to Rice, the academy graduate who became club captain. Lift the Conference League trophy and he will forever be regarded as a club legend, regardless of what may await this summer. The countdown to Prague begins.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/Tw3fSm7
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